Buildings in which people work and live have systems that monitor and sustain the comfort level of the building environment. Such systems include heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, lighting systems, as well as others. HVAC and lighting systems have existed, at least at some level, for thousands of years.
HVAC and lighting systems have become sophisticated, and are often able to maintain careful balances of humidity and temperature, as well as provide fresh air and adequate light within buildings. Suitable temperature, humidity, light and oxygen levels contribute to the indoor environmental quality of a building or work place. Good environmental quality can translate to better productivity and health of the occupants.
While the importance of environmental quality has been realized, to date there has been no reliable or comprehensive way to quantify or measure the indoor environmental quality of a building. Temperatures can be maintained, and light fixtures kept operational, but these alone cannot provide any granular measurement of indoor environmental quality (IEQ).
Thus, although the building industry has experienced a tremendous interest in the subject due to proven research that links IEQ to health and productivity, the scope of IEQ measurement remains within the bounds of spot-checking of conditions, intermediate sampling of conditions using portable data logging computers, and some limited monitoring of some parameters. These solutions are either not cost effective, or at least would not be if implemented to the extent necessary to generate comprehensive monitoring.
There is a need, therefore, for a more comprehensive system for monitoring and/or measuring parameters from which IEQ may be determined.